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MotoGP testing begins at Circuit of the Americas

Teams began a three-day MotoGP test on Tuesday at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Photo by Circuit of the Americas

Three MotoGP teams: Repsol Honda, Yamaha Factory Racing and LCR Honda MotoGP began what is scheduled to be three days of private testing today at the Circuit of the Americas, near Austin, Texas.

COTA will host Round 2 of the 2013 MotoGP racing season, the Moto GP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, April 19-21. It will be the first MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas, which opened this past November by hosting its inaugural Formula One race. Earlier this month, COTA played host to the Grand-Am of the Americas. MotoGP will be the second major race at the Circuit of the Americas in 2013 and one of three MotoGP's in the United States this year. The others are slated for Indianapolis and Laguna Seca in Monterrey, Calif.

Tuesday's testing at COTA comes one week after Franco Uncini, recently elected FIM Grand Prix safety officer, attended a safety inspection at the Circuit of the Americas. During his career, Uncini -- the 1982 500cc world champion -- rode to five MotoGP Grand Prix victories and six more podium finishes. He retired from racing in 1985, two years after being severely injured in a collision with Wayne Gardner, at Assen during the Dutch Grand Prix.

Uncini was part of a team that requested several changes to the track upon the completion of its inspection, including more openings between guardrails, the addition of new air fences, and the removal of several curbs used for auto racing.

Uncini said he was confident that the MotoGP event will run smoothly, “because we are working with highly professional people who enjoyed a great debut last season with Formula One."

Expected to run this week include world champion Jorge Lorenzo, as well as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, and Stefan Bradl.

The MotoGP season opens April 4 at Losail International Circuit outside Doha, the capital of Qatar.